Velocity - Cliff Hanger bicycles and bicycle parts
1 report to CPSC, the latest made Aug 11, 2017. A report isn’t a recall.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own search is on saferproducts.gov.
At a glance
From SaferProducts.gov, released Oct 25, 2026.
- 1report to CPSC
- Aug 11, 2017the latest report was made
- Aug 11, 2017the earliest
- 0with the company’s comments
- Brand
- Velocity - Cliff Hanger
- Maker
- Velocity USAMakers, importers or sellers, as the reports name them
- Product
- Bicycles and bicycle partsNot mountain or all-terrain bicyclesCPSC’s product type: Bicycles and Accessories, (Excl.mountain or All-terrain) (code 5040), in Sports and Recreation: Cycling, Scooters, Skateboards & Skates
By month
The numbers, as a table
| Month | Reports |
|---|---|
| August 2017 | 1 |
How badly anyone was hurt
- No one hurt 1 CPSC: Incident, No Injury
As each report says it, in short words; CPSC’s own words are under each.
The reports, as CPSC published them
Reports people made to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC publishes each one after sending it to the company named, and doesn’t guarantee they’re accurate. A report isn’t a recall.
Each report is the words of the person who made it, as CPSC published them. The company’s comments, where CPSC published any, are set apart as the company’s own.
CPSC, SaferProducts.gov public database export. Released Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily.
-
No one hurt Made Aug 11, 2017, sent to the company Jan 25, 2018, published by CPSC Feb 8, 2018
The product, in the report: Cliff hanger bicycle rim, 20” diameter, 36 spoke http://store.velocityusa.com/p/cliffhanger-20-406
We recently had a bicycle rim problem in which the tire blew sideways off the rim. This was a relatively new bicycle wheel, complete with hub, spokes and rim for the front wheel of our bicycle. We bought it from Hostel Shoppe in July 2016, for $215. Our previous rim was about 14 years old from a different mfg; it had 16,000 miles on it. We had retired that rim as it had a small crack in the aluminum. This is on a RANS SCREAMER bicycle, a recumbent tandem. We are a retired couple, age 68, and have been riding road bikes for 45 years, well over 100,000 miles. We are responsible adults and ride safely, never had an accident. We have ridden our recumbent tandem about 17,000 miles, always with the same brand tire; a Comet Primo Kevlar, 100psi tire. This is the best tire one can buy, $53 each. the tire that blew off was only about 40% worn. The rim was model 20” Cliffhanger, manufactured by Velocity. The tire blow off happened after a ride when we were stopped, talking to a neighbor. If it had happened while riding we would have wrecked and probably had serious injuries. There is no doubt as to the reason for the blowoff. The Cliffhanger rims have a very short flange on which the tire bead seats / contacts. About half the flange height / rim contact of rims we had previously ridden for 100,000+ miles. We were concerned about this rim flange from the time of purchase in July 2016, but went ahead and used it because that it is the rim that Hostel Shoppe sells on their new recumbent tandems. We reported this failuire to Hostel Shoppe and Velocity wheel company. The Velocity rep said last winter they changed the rim flange design, to meet some industry rim standard. They did not recall old rims, nor did they intend to. They replaced our rim, free and Hostel Shoppe laced the new, different model rim on our hub. Hostel Shoppe also replaced our $53 tire. We were thankful to get a new wheel and tire at no cost, but disappointed that this Cliffhanger rim is still being sold. It should be taken off the market. Recumbent tandems often go at speeds over 30 mph and the forward rider is essentially sitting right above the wheel. A blowoff while riding would cause serious wreck and injuries, possibly even death. As said above we are lifetime bike riders, with many miles. We have never had a equipment failure, except for chains. There is no doubt in our minds that the Cliffhanger rim is a defective design and that more tire blowoffs will occur due to the short flange height. Hope you will get this rim off the market. Thanks [REDACTED]
- Model
- Cliffhanger - 20” [406] #40000-406XX
- Bought from
- Hostel Shoppe catalog purchase in June 2016, Wisconsin
- Where
- Yakima, Washington: Street or Highway
- Who was involved
- Age 68, Female
- The reporter’s relation to them
- My Spouse
- As this report names them
- Brand Velocity - Cliff Hanger, made or sold by Velocity USA
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Incident, No Injury
CPSC’s disclaimer
Disclaimer: CPSC does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of the Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database on SaferProducts.gov, particularly with respect to information submitted by people outside of CPSC.
Word for word, from the disclaimer in CPSC’s export.
Sources
Sources
-
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, SaferProducts.gov public database export.
Released Oct 25, 2026 and checked Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.
Reports of harm are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on SaferProducts.gov. CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record.